The walking contradiction that is Gregg Popovich

Gregg Popovich isn’t really a flaming #%&!*@!. He just plays one on TV.

And yet, almost to a man, those who come into contact with him on a regular basis — even Stephen Jackson, whom he just cut — love him unconditionally.

Not even the reporters he humiliates on a regular basis can stay mad at him for long.

It takes a special personality to be able to unleash his special brand of sarcasm and still foster such affection. Pop certainly has that as a former Air Force officer turned Division III basketball coach turned four-time NBA champion and future Hall of Famer.

(Sports Illustrated’s Jack McCallum was also in town recently for what he said will be a Pop-centric piece, meaning we’re about to know way more about the long-time Spurs coach than he’s probably comfortable with.)

True to his reputation as one of the better sportswriters in the country, Posnanski does a wonderful job illustrating Pop’s unique blend of irreverence, intelligence and surliness. The former SI scribe also enlists the help of those who know him best.

Larry Brown: “I think it’s just because, deep down, Pop’s as decent a guy as you will ever meet. He can yell at the players because they trust him. They know he’s got their backs.”

R.C. Buford: “The key is relationships. He’s the best I’ve ever seen at building those relationships. He builds their trust. People believe in him.”

Even Express-News beat writer Jeff McDonald gets some run, sharing an experience anybody who has to ask Popovich questions for a living can relate to — re-framing it over and over again in your head, hoping to find the combination of words that will incur the least amount of scorn.

In a weird way, Popovich almost makes you feel like a school kid hoping to get your favorite teacher’s approval.

Such was the case recently, when he borrowed the media lounge at the practice site to tape some spots for NPR as I was pounding away on my laptop. Upon finishing, Popovich clapped me on the shoulder like a long-lost nephew — which kind of stunned me, considering I might have asked 20 questions at most during my first season on the gig.

It’s embarrassing to admit, but that little shred of interaction made my day.

So you can imagine how the ones closest to Popovich feel. Those who are have summed him up as such: If you don’t do your job, you won’t be around for long. If you do, he’ll take care of you with an almost bottomless reservoir of generosity.

Between the terse sound bites and withering glares, we don’t get to see that side often. But as Posnanski writes, it’s there if you look close enough.